“We condemn the barbaric attack on our Jewish brothers and sisters in Pittsburgh and stand in solidarity with the Jewish community nationwide. This incident is an attack on our values and on the very fiber of our diverse society.

“We believe that lack of understanding, fear mongering and unwarranted hate speech in the current political environment may lead to tragic incidents like the current one. It is the sacred duty of all faith and civic leaders to encourage greater understanding and compassion in our society to forge national unity.

​What started as a controversial face book post turned into a great learning opportunity and celebrating diversity in our communities. Irmo town hall was packed to capacity last Thursday during the ‘Demystifying Islam’ program that drew people from various faiths and all walks of life.

​The program commenced with a mini exhibition on Islam that included books on Islam as well as posters depicting Muslims contributions to the world civilization, especially during the Islam’s Golden Age. Visitors showed keen interest in the exhibition and some picked up copies of the Quran and a mini-magazine on ‘Islam and Peace.’ While the event was hosted by Mayor Hardy King, it was jointly sponsored by PICNA and IPSC (Interfaith Partners of SC).

Adrian Bird, Chairman of IPSC, who served as the moderator, presented an excellent introduction and a preview of the evening’s proceedings:

A presentation entitled ‘Understanding Islam and Muslims’ by Chaudhry Sadiq, President of PICNA

A panel discussion by four panelists followed by a Q&A session.

​Chaudhry Sadiq’s well illustrated presentation covered essentials of Islamic faith including deeper meaning of Islam and Muslims, an understanding of Allah, Prophet Muhammad and Quran. Chaudhry also dealt with the sensitive subject of terrorism and how Muslims had suffered from terrorism and war on terrorism. Quoting from the Quran and Prophetic traditions, He emphatically declared that Islam had nothing to do with terrorism. He went on to say that terrorists were terrorists and extremists were extremists, who had no faith and hence must not be linked or connected with any faith. Chaudhry further said that American Muslims were affluent, educated, intelligent and successful and that they were as loyal and patriotic as any other American national.

​In the next segment, the panelists presented their views on the theme of the evening. Mayor Hardy King recounted his experiences when, after the controversial face book posting, he had visited a local prominent mosque and was warmly greeted by their community leaders and Muslims from all walks of life. He explained how that experience had opened his mind and motivated him to host the current program to afford an opportunity to Irmo residents to learn more about their Muslim neighbors.

​Mary Kennerly, a retired educator, then recounted her experiences as she recollected how her students and their parents from different faiths including Islam had come together in the aftermath of 9/11. Chery Nail, Vice Chair of IPSC and Community Relations Director of Columbia Jewish Federation, declared that religion was not the problem but extremism was the problem. She emotionally recollected the strong support their community had received from all other faiths when the Jewish community had received multiple bomb threats recently.

​Chaudhry, in his panel discussion segment, explained how he had been reported for ‘suspicious activity’ on more than one occasion when he was offering his prayers at open spaces in his early years in Columbia. He invited the audience to imagine how Muslims would feel when they needed to offer prayers at airports or on an aircraft in the current socio-political environment.

The last segment of the program, the Q&A session, was equally exciting when the audience posed tough questions to the panelists on a variety of subjects including terrorism. The moderator showed extra ordinary patience and organizational skills while the panelists kept their cool that helped maintain a pleasant and healthy environment in the town hall.

In the Q&A session, a Muslim convert emphasized that a Muslim cannot be a terrorist and follow Islam and similarly, a Christian cannot be a terrorist and follow Christianity just as a Jew cannot be a terrorist and follow Judaism simultaneously. In response to someone’s question on terrorism, a Jewish Professor said he taught terrorism classes and his study showed that of all terrorist incidents in America, those perpetrated by ‘so-called’ Muslims were only a fraction of the total number of such incidents.

​The climax of the program was the moment when a Christian lady picked up a book from the display table and read out a prayer of Prophet Muhammad in an emotional and spiritually charged voice. It seemed that all participants shared the feeling that they had learnt a lot through this awareness program that had helped bring together people of different faiths and ethnicities. That confirms the notion that God Almighty has mysterious ways of bringing people together for a good cause!

PICNA and Masjid Noor Ul Huda, a prominent local mosque joined hands to organize a highly successful Muslim Youth Speech Contest In Columbia, South Carolina on Saturday, July 28, 2018.

“It was a delight to see children, as young as seven years, speak to adult audience with confidence, courage and commitment on their favorite topics”, said Chaudhry Sadiq, President, PICNA. Chaudhry went on to say that he would like to see these youth become community leaders, public representatives and scholars and make their communities, their faith and their nation feel proud of them.

The contestants were grouped into three levels - elementary, middle and high, and topics for these levels were:- “Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) is my hero in life.”- “I proud to be a Muslim and I am proud to be an American.”- “Challenges and opportunities facing Muslims in America.”

Imam Omar Shaheed, Imam of Masjid As-Salam, who was the Guest of Honor for the evening, applauded the participants for their hard work and commitment and praised the standard of their speeches. Cash prizes donated by PICNA - four positions in each category, were awarded to winners in the three levels and certificates were awarded to each participant.

Parents of the contestants with their families attended the program in large numbers and shared a pot luck dinner while children enjoyed delicious pizza. The program concluded with the Maghreb (Sunset) Prayer.

​God Almighty has His mysterious ways of bringing people together, changing hearts and minds and creating miracles. This is exactly what transpired in the cities of Columbia and Irmo in the state of South Carolina.

Recently an anti-Islam Facebook post by Irmo, SC, Mayor, Hardy King, created an uproar in the community. Irmo residents reacted sharply and local Muslims were naturally offended by the post. A young Muslim, Farzan, called Mayor King and spoke to him for over an hour.

Farzan then prompted PICNA President, Chaudhry Sadiq, to reach out to the Mayor, assuring him of a speedy response from the Mayor. A well balanced text message from Chaudhry resulted in a phone call within 90 seconds!

The Mayor was invited to Masjid Noor Ul Huda, a prominent Mosque in Columbia for an Eid Celebration the Muslim community was holding just a few days later. Board Members of a well known interfaith organization – IPSC – Interfaith Partners of SC, were invited to Mosque as well. Mayor King was warmly welcomed to the Mosque by the Imam and Masjid President and presented with gifts.

The Mayor met a cross section of the Muslim community and had good conversation with the members of the Mosque. Mayor and IPSC guests were treated to a delicious dinner comprising Bar-B-Q, mutton curry and rice. Kids games, women dressed in traditional, cultural clothing had created a colorful environment that had a profound impact on the Mayor and guests. Hearts melted, minds met and an inner revolution was simmering. Chaudhry Sadiq, meanwhile, was aiming to move this newfound relationship to a new level and proposed to the Mayor to jointly organize an Islamic Awareness program which the Mayor promptly accepted. It seemed that these two hours of warm, friendly and free flowing interaction, produced wonders and achieved tremendous success in building bridges and changing hearts and minds. While this may just be the beginning of a long, delicate process of building trust and friendship, a meaningful dialogue has begun and a strong foundation has been laid already!

​Nearly fifty faith and community leaders thronged to Masjid Noor Ul Huda, aprominent mosque in Columbia, SC, for an evening of learning, sharing andpositive engagement. PICNA and the mosque have traditionally held the RamadanSharing event for many years now.

​Over 1.6 Billion Muslims observe the fasting month of Ramadan around the worldwith spirituality, enthusiasm and dedication. Fasting is one of the five pillars ofIslam that instils the traits of sharing, caring and sacrifice in the believers.

​This year’s gathering included leaders and representatives from various Churches,law enforcement agencies, media and other organizations. The programcommenced with addresses by Imams of Masjid Noor Ul Huda and Masjid As-Salam as well as President PICNA, Chaudhry Sadiq. A short documentary showingfast breaking on a massive scale at the Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, United ArabEmirates where over 30,000 Muslims were fed every evening throughout thefasting month of Ramadan, depicted superb organization and exemplaryprofessionalism on the part of UAE authorities.

​During the Q & A session that followed, the audience asked great questions thatled to further awareness about Islam and Muslims. The guests witnessedMaghreb (Sunset) Prayers before being treated to a delicious meal that wasshared in a very friendly environment. Leaders who spoke at the event and sharedtheir feelings included Rev. James Thomas of Lutheran Seminary, Pastor Julie Birdof the McGregor Presbyterian Church, Carl Evans, former Chairman of IPSC –Interfaith Partners of South Carolina and Sheriff Leon Lott of Richland County.

The guests who included around thirty ladies, mingled freely with the hosts inseparate men’s and women’s shelters where they enjoyed the dinner. All theguests appreciated the opportunity to learn about Islam and Muslims and emphasized on the need to organize, on regular basis, such programs of positiveengagement to foster goodwill and understanding between our various faithcommunities. They were all praise for PICNA and the Masjid for the prominentrole these organizations are playing for enhancement of goodwill andunderstanding in our society.

​The interfaith community of Charleston had the special privilege of being treated to the premiere of the much awaited documentary movie 'The Sultan and the Saint' on Saturday, November 18, 2017. The show, attended by faith and community leaders, intellectuals and academicians, was held at the School of Sciences and Mathematics building at the College of Charleston.

​The proceedings began with a translation of the opening chapter of the Holy Qur'an followed by a Christian Prayer. PICNA's President, Chaudhry Sadiq, then welcomed the audience and spoke about PICNA-UPF partnership that continues to grow and prosper. Chaudhry apprised the audience of the challenges of peacemaking in a politically charged environment and reiterated PICNA's commitment to strive for peace, goodwill and understanding between people of all faiths and cultures.

​Alex Kronomer, the reputed American Muslim moviemaker and the co-founder of Unity Productions Foundation (UPF), who had especially flown into Charleston for the occasion, then held the audience captive with his personal story and the evolution of UPF. He then introduced the movie 'The Sultan and the Saint', enlightening the audience of the valiant struggle of Sultan Mohammad Al-Kamil of Egypt, the nephew of the great Sultan Salaheddin Ayyubi and St. Francis of Assisi that culminated in an end to the Crusades.

The movie was thoroughly enjoyed by the audience who were then treated to light refreshments. The guests later informally gathered around Alex Kronomer who answered their inquiries and appreciated their keen interest in this highly professional movie depicting Muslim-Christian peace in a troubled period of history. Alex disclosed that the movie had already won many awards and will be shown nationwide on PBS the day after Christmas.

​In the evening, a private fundraiser was held at the Wiled Dunes residence of Ameena Khan Sterling in the scenic environment of the Isle of Palms. Alex Kronomer, the UPF co-founder addressed the informal gathering and shared with them very private details of his conversion to Islam as well as his passion for peace. This beautiful 'gathering of many faiths' produced a unique environment of goodwill, understanding and mutual affection that PICNA and UPF are striving to create in our diverse society.

]]>Thu, 12 Oct 2017 03:32:37 GMThttp://www.picna.org/home/city-of-chicago-and-picna-hold-knowing-our-muslim-neighbor-event​'Understanding Islam and Muslims' Presentation well received at the City Hall

​Building on Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin's initiative of December, 2016, entitled "Embracing Your Muslim Neighbor", The City of Columbia and PICNA jointly organized a much anticipated program "Knowing Our Muslim Neighbor" - 'Understanding Islam and Muslims' on Tuesday, September 26, 2017 at the City Council Chambers.

​Welcoming the diverse audience, Mayor Benjamin thanked the faith and community leaders for their commitment and emphasized the need for an ongoing dialogue between our communities. The Mayor's honest and compassionate words touched the hearts of the attendees, thus creating an environment of goodwill and understanding for the rest of the program.

​The Mayor's welcome address was followed by a presentation by Chaudhry Sadiq, PICNA President, entitled 'Understanding Islam and Muslims" that has become popular with inter-faith circles of South Carolina. In the politically charged environment where Islam and Muslims have been under the radar, people of conscience are increasingly eager to know the truth about Islam and Muslims.

​Chaudhry's presentation deals with the essentials of Islam as well as most sensitive and critical subjects like extremism and terrorism. Commencing with topics of basic knowledge on Islam, for example, meaning of Islam and Muslims, the concept of one God, the Holy Quran and Prophet Mohammed, Chaudhry went on to talk about Muslims around the globe and the American Muslims.

​Speaking without any hesitation on the crucial subject of terrorism, Chaudhry made abundantly clear that terrorism or terrorists have nothing to do with Islam and that those perpetrating acts of violence in the name of Islam are simply out of the ambit of Islam.

​The panelists spoke about the historic aspects and common roots of Abrahamic religions and answered questions from the audience. On the sidelines of this well organized program, PICNA had arranged an exhibit on Muslim Heritage and Islamic contributions to the world civilization.

​The event was attended by a cross section of the Columbia community including representatives from various faiths.

​Prominent educationists, community, faith and civic leaders as well as law enforcement officials of South Carolina, came together under one roof in a two day Summit Conference at Columbia Metropolitan Conference Center from June 12 to 13, 2017. Organized by the Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence, this was the second annual summit conference after the inaugural event in 2016.

​The two day Summit had a packed schedule comprising of four plenary sessions and dozens of concurrent sessions dealing with a variety of topics of high value to schools, communities and law enforcement. Besides, there were special student sessions termed as 'Student Ambassador Training' spread over two days where selected students were given an opportunity to listen to top experts in their spheres of excellence.

​Chaudry Sadiq, PICNA President, addressed three sessions at the summit. Speaking to a packed hall at a plenary session as part of a panel of faith and community leaders, Chaudhry recalled an historic event he had organized in May 2009 as President of CAIR South Carolina at this very location. The twin event - a Diversity Exhibition and a Banquet - were so successful that the State Newspaper published an article in their Metro section the next day, entitled "City Rolls out Mat for Muslims". Chaudhry termed that event as a golden chapter in Muslim-Non-Muslim relations in South Carolina. He expressed the need and desire to continue to build these relations, especially in the face of the current challenges.

​Addressing another session, attended mainly by law enforcement officials, Chaudhry Sadiq made his presentation 'Understanding Islam and Muslims', dealing with essentials of Islam as well as complex issues such as terrorism and misconceptions about Islam and Muslims. The audience of this session that had highest attendance among all concurrent sessions, showed keen interest in the presentation as evidenced by the tough questions they asked the speaker.

The final session addressed by PICNA President was with young students that proved to be very meaningful and unique in many ways. Briefing young students on Islam and Muslims was an amazing experience. Just one response from a ten year old left Chaudhry wondering. When asked how one could identify Muslims, the young man, who otherwise seemed inattentive and in a playful mood, replied : "through their inner selves"! What a deep and thought provoking answer to a complex question!

]]>Mon, 01 May 2017 07:00:00 GMThttp://www.picna.org/home/picna-president-speaks-on-quran-and-science​National 'March for Science' rally held at the SC State Capitol

​Around 2000 people holding colorful and creative signs filled the grounds of the State Capitol in Columbia on Saturday, April 22, 2017, as part of a national 'March for Science' rally. Washington, D.C. That attracted 100,000 participants, was among 600 cities world wide that marked the day to emphasize the significance of Science and related research for the good of humanity.

​The SC rally was organized by Greater Columbia Action Together Network and addressed by reputed scientists and researchers besides a couple of distinguished poets. The highly motivated audience who comprised of supporters of science and activists, came in all age groups and from all backgrounds thus creating a colorful and exciting environment.

​Chaudhry Sadiq, President of PICNA, who spoke to the audience on 'Qur'an and Science' covered the vast subject in a short but comprehensive talk. He talked about fascinating facts contained in the Quran, stunning evidence of nature's phenomena, spectacular secrets of science unveiled in the Qur'an over 1400 years ago.

​"Among the most fascinating subjects in the Qur'an, is the creation of the universe and creation of Man", said Chaudhry Sadiq. While the Qur'an covers almost every conceivable subject, one of the most amazing phenomena unveiled in the Qur'an, is the various stages of the development of the human embryo.

​Just one verse of the Qur'an covers so many subjects:

"Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and earth, and the alternation of the night and the day, and the [great] ships which sail through the sea with that which benefits people, and what God has sent down from the heavens of rain, giving life thereby to the earth after its lifelessness and dispersing therein every [kind of] moving creature, and [His] directing of the winds and the clouds controlled between the heaven and the earth are signs for a people who use reason." - Qur'an 2:164

​Chaudhry emphasized that Islam and Science are not only mutually compatible but that Islam lays great emphasis on reflecting and research. He concluded his talk with a brief reference to great contributions to the world civilization by the early Muslim era scientists and discoverers.

​PICNA also set up a beautiful display on Islam. The booth that was managed by Dr. Ashraf Chattha's family who are active PICNA volunteers, proved to be very popular with participants of the rally who took keen interest in the exhibits and asked many intelligent questions on Islam.

]]>Thu, 20 Apr 2017 07:00:00 GMThttp://www.picna.org/home/picna-and-university-of-south-carolina-co-host-discover-islam-event​PICNA and University of South Carolina (USC) organized an event entitled ' Discover Islam' at Sonoco Pavilion of the Darla Moore School of Business on Tuesday, March 28, 2017. The highlight of the evening's program was a presentation entitled "Understanding Islam and Muslims" by Chaudhry Sadiq, President of PICNA.

​The event was attended by a diverse audience that included faith and community leaders and activists, faculty and students. Besides the presentation, an interfaith panel discussion was another attraction of the evening. Alice Leri, Associate Dean at the Darla Moore School of Business (DMSB), welcomed the audience and invited Chaudhry Sadiq to make his presentation.

​In his presentation designed in the 'Prezi' program, Chaudhry Sadiq dealt with the introduction of Islam and Muslims before enlightening the audience about Allah, the Holy Qur'an, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him - pbuh), Muslims around the world and U.S. Muslims. Finally, he addressed the sensitive and critical subject of terrorism in the light of his personal experiences and research, to break down many common myths and remove misconceptions about Islam and Muslims.

​A highly reputed and respected panel of interfaith experts then addressed the audience, including Reverend Frank Anderson, Imam Omar Shaheed and Rabbi Jonathan Case. The three faith leaders kept the audience spellbound for about half an hour with their perspective of Islam and interfaith relations between our communities and beyond.

​The USC departments involved in hosting the event then treated the guests to delicious snacks and light refreshments in an environment of warmth, cordiality and fellowship. The memorable program finally concluded with the 'Maghrib' Muslim Prayerthat is performed after sunset.